EastEnders’ Max Bowden, 27, grows close to co-star Charlie Brooks, 41, after split from Shona McGarty
EASTENDERS’ Max Bowden has grown close to co-star Charlie Brooks after he quit partying and split from Shona McGarty.
Max, 27, had a wild summer while he dated Albert Square regular Shona but, following a series of bust-ups, they cooled their romance.
The actor, who has given up the booze and became a dad at the end of September, has since turned to close pal Charlie, 41, for support.
An EastEnders source added: “She’s been a bit of a shoulder for him to cry on too. Charlie is a great role model for Max.
“She’s always really open about the benefits of giving up partying hard and how much her life has changed for the better because of it.
“They’ve become closer than ever on set and Max knows he can always rely on her for help.”
READ MORE ON MAX BOWDEN
He also wanted to calm down with the birth of his first child by former girlfriend Roisin Buckle, 37, looming.
The source added: “Max realised he needed to sort his life out.
“He had a heavy summer of partying, an ex-girlfriend he wasn’t talking to even though she was pregnant with his baby, and a job that is very demanding physically and emotionally.
“As he prepared for the arrival of his son he decided to stop being the wild-man.
Most read in The Sun
"It gave him the clarity he needed and that’s when things started to go wrong with Shona.
“They had a number of arguments. Since then he’s grown closer to Charlie.”
The Ben Mitchell actor’s love life began to resemble an EastEnders plotline when he started to date 31-year-old Shona, who plays Whitney Dean.
Insurance executive Roisin was pregnant at the time and thought they were just on a break.
But one of her friend’s revealed she was “humiliated and disrespected” by his behaviour.
Speaking on her podcast in July, Roisin said she had not heard from Max in two months and that he had missed their son’s 20-week scan.
But last month they both posted about the arrival of their baby boy, Reginald Buckle.
Read More on The Sun
Last night, Charlie, who says she is “looking for love” on dating site Raya, denied any romance.
She said: “I’ve known Max for years. He’s basically like a little brother.”
